ESPN: Dawkins names Kentucky, Louisville players he wanted to pay

After leaked document from the college basketball corruption trial mentioned two UK players, John Calipari says he has faith in compliance department.
Jon Hale, Louisville Courier Journal

Kentucky's Jarred Vanderbilt was dressed Wednesday for practice before Thursday's game against Kansas State in the Sweet Sixteen. UK is 9-0 against K-State in the series history. March 21, 2018(Photo: Matt Stone, Courier Journal)

Aspiring agent Christian Dawkins listed players he wanted to pay in a five-page email he sent to aspiring business partners last year, and the list includes current and past Kentucky and Louisville players, according to an ESPN report.

Among the “prospective players” listed in Dawkins' plan were Louisville’s Ray Spalding and V.J. King and Kentucky’s Jarred Vanderbilt and Ashton Hagans, but ESPN reported “there is no evidence that any of the payments were actually made before (Dawkins') arrest or that any of the players had knowledge of the pay-for-play schemes.”

In numerous instances as the pay-for-play scandal has unfolded, it's turned out that payments were made to players' family members without the player's knowledge, like in the case of former Louisville recruit Brian Bowen, or people have talked about trying to recruit players without the player's knowledge.

Hagans played in UK's season-opening loss to Duke on Tuesday and is expected to play for the Wildcats again against Southern Illinois on Friday.

"All of our student-athletes undergo a thorough review process to ensure their eligibility," a UK spokesman said in a statement released to the Courier Journal on Thursday afternoon. "With the full cooperation of our student-athletes and their families, the compliance department works closely with the NCAA eligibility center and the Southeastern Conference throughout the entire amateurism certification process. At this time there is no change in the eligibility of any of our current or former students."

Dawkins is one of 10 men arrested on Sept. 26, 2017, as a result of the FBI’s investigation. Adidas executive James Gatto and former Adidas consultant Merl Code were convicted of felony conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud during last month’s trial in New York.

In the business plan, Dawkins proposed paying Spalding $2,000 a month from October 2017 to December 2017, then $3,000 a month until April 2018, and paying King $2,000 a month from October 2017 to April 2018. He noted in the document King “will be a messy situation in my opinion.”

A Louisville spokesman told the Courier Journal, "We have reviewed information recently presented at the trial in New York and do not believe it affects any of our current student-athletes."

Spalding left for the NBA draft after last season.

The email outlined a proposed $30,000 payment to Vanderbilt’s family for travel expenses to watch him play for Kentucky last season, a $25,000 signing bonus to Vanderbilt’s father after Jarred turned pro, a $100,000 line of credit for Vanderbilt and a $25,000 advance on marketing revenue if he was projected as a lottery pick at the end of the 2017-18 season.

“Brother Jamal and dad will also be part of the deal, and receive 25% of our income on all sides,” Dawkins wrote.

After playing in just 14 games for UK last season due to a foot injury, Vanderbilt left school for the draft.

Among the then-high school recruits Dawkins proposed payments to in the business plan was current UK freshman Ashton Hagans, who Dawkins proposed paying $2,000 a month from October 2017 to October 2018 and then $3,000 a month through April 2020.

Former Xavier player Trevon Bluiett was listed for a proposed payment plan of $700 a month from September 2017 through April 2018 that would not be expected to be paid back if the player turned professional, according to the ESPN report.

Other players were listed with similar plans. Bluiett played at Xavier for current Louisville head coach Chris Mack.

Class of 2019 prospect James Wiseman, Kentucky’s top target in the current high school senior class, was also on the list with a proposed payment of $3,000 a month from October 2018 until October 2019 and then $4,000 a month from October 2019 to April 2020.

"The best thing about coaching here is you coach basketball," UK coach John Calipari said at his previously scheduled Thursday news conference. "What you’re talking about, our administration and compliance (department) are so thorough, doubly thorough, that I trust everything is fine."

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